Page 30 - Flathead Beacon // 12.25.13

30 | DECEMBER 25, 2013
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OPINION

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LETTERS
relationship. Instead, two separate FJRA is a solution that takes
ONLINE STORIES
environmental reviews will be conducted. into consideration the protection of
It’s obvious that Washington’s hundreds of thousands of acres of
expanded environmental review is public land, while creating jobs and

FLATHEADBEACON.COM
intended to drag out the process so long, protecting Montana’s $6 billion outdoor
make it so expensive, and insert so many economy. It is a collaboration between
WASHINGTON COAL PORT EIS points for litigation to be iled, that those outdoorsmen, conservationists and
JEOPARDIZES MONTANA JOBS
sponsoring the project will simply give up. businesses that takes into consideration
When the state of Washington A Murder in Glacier The fact that they would go to that forest restoration, access, and protection
announced it was taking the unheard- Park
extent shows how incredibly broken of our outdoor heritage – all aspects that
our environmental laws have become. carry enormous value for a business like
of step of including Montana mines and The New Face of Environmental review laws are designed Mystery Ranch.
transportation networks in the scope Homelessness
of an environmental analysis related to make sure that we’re balancing Tester is to be commended for
to a costal port in Washington, a lot of ‘Extreme Freight environmental concerns with job his eforts in presenting legislation
Montana industries took notice. The move creation. Those laws were never intended that makes sense, and that is good for
was designed to undermine coal mining Congestion’ Cancels to be an outright roadblock to new Montanans. Forest Jobs and Recreation
in Montana, but the precedent it would Amtrak Trips Through projects. In this case, the environmental is a bold investment in Montana’s outdoor
set could be used against other industries Montana
review isn’t being done as a good faith heritage. The time has come to see
efort to examine impacts – it’s completely
this important legislation inally pass
— like Montana agriculture, timber, and
manufacturing — in the future.
BLOTTER: designed to choke a project to death.
Congress and become law.
At the heart of this issue is whether Dangerous Driver
The state of Washington is also
one state can dictate what is produced insinuating that Montana is not doing a Renee Sippel-Baker, COO
in another state. It’s a very serious A Safe Haven Begins proper job of protecting our environment. Mystery Ranch Backpacks, Bozeman
controversy with thousands of Montana to Surface in Somers
It has the arrogance to suggest that it
jobs at stake.
needs to come to Montana to do it for us. MUTUAL RESPECT REQUIRED
Arts in the Park
For its information, we already do
Montana Attorney General Tim environmental review for coal mines. We FOR SUCCESSFUL
Fox has already put Washington on Voisin Lands on COLLABORATION ON FOREST
notice that their ploy violates intrastate already have environmental regulations PLAN
commerce protections, joining other Podium at Olympic for railroads. In fact, I would posit Allen Chrisman’s letter (Dec. 18
states that have cried foul over the move. Qualifying Event
that Montana has some of the strictest Beacon: “Work Collaboratively on Forest
TheArmyCorpsofEngineers,thefederal regulations related to mining and
Plan”)defendingtheFlatheadNational
agency overseeing port permitting, has VIDEO: Morley transportation in the country.
Forest from criticism by Keith Hammer
indicated the Washington EIS is outside But here we are, with Washington
asserts that “The Forest Service made
Places Eighth at Foot abusing the environmental review law
the boundaries of the law. And a former Locker National in order to prevent coal from being no commitment to the Whiteish Range
WTO appeals chairman has warned Championship
Partnership that they would adopt our
that Washington’s ploy could result transported through its state. The recommendationintact.”
in international sanctions against the Columbia Falls prospect of its success is scary indeed That’s correct — but Hammer never
United States for breaking fair trade due to the precedent it could set. Imagine alleged such a commitment. He merely
treaties.
Woman Pleads Not if trucks hauling Montana cattle could argued that remarks about the Whiteish
So what exactly is Washington doing Guilty to Assaulting be stopped at the Wyoming border, or if Range Partnership’s agreement by the
that has local, state, federal, and even Deputy
trains hauling Montana timber could be FNF’s supervisor and chief planner
turned back by North Dakota.
international governing bodies up in BLOTTER: Extreme were gratuitously complimentary, thus
arms? It really boils down to a blatant That idea that one state can dictate prejudicial, and therefore amounted to
attempt to undercut coal mining in Text Messaging
to another economic activities runs favoritism. I agree.
Montana and Wyoming by preventing the afoul of our United States constitution. Hammer did not criticize the WRP.
construction any coastal port facilities Attorney General Tim Fox is right to ight But Chrisman chose to criticize Hammer,
that could be used to ship that coal to for Montana jobs, and let’s hope he wins. and to criticize him in a deliberately
international markets.
A lot of Montana industries are nervously patronizing manner that not only is
awaiting the inal outcome of this one.
LETTERS
Before a new port can be built, it needs without merit, but that is not in keeping Tell us what you think. To submit a letter, please e-mail your submission
to go through the proper environmental with the civility and mutual respect to [email protected]. Please
review process to examine any impacts Rep. Austin Knudsen required for successful collaboration in keep your letter to 300 words or less.
the construction of the port may have, and Republican, Culbertson
the larger forest plan revision process of The Flathead Beacon reserves the right
mitigate those efects. That’s standard which both men are a part.
to edit letters for length, clarity and
practice for a major project of any sort.
A BOLD INVESTMENT IN to prevent libel. Letters must include
What makes this case diferent is MONTANA’S OUTDOOR James Conner the writer’s irst and last name, phone
that the state of Washington has decided HERITAGE
Kalispell
number and address for veriication
purposes. Only the name and hometown
to examine the potential impacts of People who live and do business in of the writer will be printed. To mail a
the commodities that will be exported Montana inherently understand the value letter, please send to 17 Main Street,
through the port. That includes analysis of our open spaces. As a Montana business CLARIFICATION
Kalispell, MT 59901.
of the coal mines and rail networks whose success relies on a robust outdoor Fax letters to (406) 257-9231.
in Montana, all the way to the power economy, I enthusiastically support Sen.
generation of that coal in the countries Jon Tester’s Forest Jobs and Recreation CORRECTIONS
it’s sold to.
Act.
If a Beacon story includes a factual
error, please tell us about it. Call
Such an expansive scope is Tester understands as well as any The business story in the Dec. 18 Kellyn Brown at 257-9220; or e-mail to
unprecedented in environmental review, purebred Montanan that our public lands edition of the Beacon, “Natural Beauty [email protected]; or fax to
and contradicts the purpose of the review are vital to our economy’s backbone. He Expansion,” mentioned that BijaBody 257-9231.
laws. Usually, reviews of this sort are done introduced this Montana-made bill four has products in more than 20 stores. The FLATHEADBEACON.COM
jointly by state and federal permitting years ago with the vision that it would company has products in 49 stores across For daily news, local community pages,
bodies—but in this case, Washington’s serve his state and his constituents. thecountry.
video, multimedia, story archives and
decision to go beyond normal review His vision in protecting our public lively online conversation, visit our Web
procedures has prompted the federal lands included the creation of jobs, and site at latheadbeacon.com.

partner, the Army Corps, to sever that
economic growth.